Red Sox expect tough challenge from Tigers' Max Scherzer

October 19, 2013

Detroit Free Press News Services

All that’s in Boston’s way is 21-game winner Max Scherzer, with Justin Verlander on deck for Game 7 — if it gets that far.

“We all know what we are up against,” catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia said Friday after an off-day workout to prepare for today’s Game 6 of the American League Championship Series against the Tigers. “I expect it’s going to be another one of those tough games.”

A victory would eliminate the defending AL champions and send the Red Sox to their third World Series since 2004. Scherzer will face Boston’s Clay Buchholz, a repeat of the Game 2 matchup the Red Sox won, 6-5.

“I don’t see him making too many adjustments,” Saltalamacchia said of Scherzer. “There’s not many adjustments he needs to make.”

The Red Sox got a 4-3 victory in Game 5 on Thursday night at Comerica Park to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. They arrived home early Friday morning and worked out at Fenway Park in the afternoon.

The Tigers did not work out, opting to rest ailing starters like Miguel Cabrera and Alex Avila, who joined the injured after a home-plate collision with David Ross in the second inning of Game 5.

“We have to go to Fenway, and we have to fight hard enough to win a game,” said Cabrera, who has been slowed by a variety of injuries since late in the regular season. “If we do that, we have to keep fighting and get the next one. We’ve done this before, and we’ve got great pitchers.”

The rotation was the Tigers’ biggest advantage entering the series, and it has lived up to the hype. Anibal Sanchez, Scherzer and Verlander took no-hitters into the fifth inning in the first three games, though the Tigers won only one.

In all, the Tigers’ starters had allowed three runs in 27 innings through the first four games before Mike Napoli’s homer keyed a three-run second inning the second time against Sanchez.

“They were pitching pretty well the first couple of games. They shut us down,” Napoli said. “It’s been a great series all-around. But it’s not over yet. We’ve got to take care of business. We’ve got Buchholz going, and we’ve got all the confidence in the world in him.”

The Red Sox seem to be getting stronger as the series goes on, but the Tigers are more beaten up with each game. Manager Jim Leyland said he would wait to see how Avila feels today before making a decision.

Leyland did say Jose Iglesias will play shortstop today. The 23-year-old Cuban started Game 1 before coming in as a substitute in the next two games; he was back in the lineup for Games 4 and 5. The Red Sox also are turning to a young infielder to boost their offense.

Manager John Farrell said Xander Bogaerts, a top prospect who wasn’t called up until August, will start at third in place of Will Middlebrooks. Middlebrooks started Boston’s first eight playoff games, but he is batting .174 with nine strikeouts in the postseason, giving way to the rookie in Game 5

“It’s definitely special,” Bogaerts said. “I want the manager to have confidence in me, especially in the playoffs. Every game is important; every at-bat. It’s definitely huge.”